Mumbai boy Dev Shah wins world schools chess title

MUMBAI: The youngest Indian to become a rated chess player, seven-year-old Dev Shah, has become the world champion in the Under-7 category in the World Schools Chess Championships that concluded at Juiz de Fora in Brazil on December 4.

Dev, a trainee of South Mumbai Chess Academy and student of Dhrubhai Ambani School, was among three boys who scored the highest score -- 7.5 points out of 9 -- to tie with Ochirbat Lkhahvajamts of Mongolia and Sindarov Islombek of Uzbekistan.

The Mumbai boy was ruled the winner on account of a better aggregate score, said a media release today.

With this championship win, he also qualified to hold the title of Candidate Master awarded by world chess body FIDE, with a current international rating of 1448, the release added.